Method and a device for operating washing machines or scullery machines



P 1, 1959 w. HOLZER METHOD AND A DEVICE FOR OPERATING WASHING MACHINES OR SCULLERY MACHINES Filed Dec. 6, 1957 1 1. via

INVENTUR.

Attorney United States Patent METHOD AND A DEVICE FOR OPERATING EVASHING MACHINES OR SCULLERY MA- Walter Hol'zer, Meersburg-on-the-Bodensee, Germany Application December 6, 1957, Serial No. 701,188 Claims priority, application Germany December 10, 1956 8 Claims. (Cl. ZOO-136.3)

' The present invention relates to a method and a device for the operation of washing machines or scullery machines, oil heating systems or the like, by means of a manually'wound up time-limit switch provided with a spring drive for several circuits.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a method and a corresponding time-limit switch making possible such a course of the washing or Washing up process in washing or scullery machines that a manually wound up time-limit switch practically performs a preset controlling operation which mechanically would be possible but with more expensive controlling elements.

The invention consists in that with a manually wound up and spring driven switch a switching action dependent on aphysical magnitude is performed, to which succeeds a second or a further switching action influenced by the clockwork.

According to said feature of the invention, the manually actuated time-limit switch is automatically changed over from its engaged position to the time position, i.e. the operation now is an entirely automatic one.

It is a further object of the invention to provide simple and inexpensive switch-over means automatically actuated and possibly to be mounted subsequently to existing timelimit switches so that thereby essential advantages may be obtained.

A preferred embodiment of the invention consists in that the time-limit switch is a cam actuated switch having a stop disc limiting the first switching position, whereby said disc is released by the physical magnitude, such as by the action of a temperature operated locking device, in such a manner as to cause the clockwork to run down. According to said feature of the invention, a cam actuated switch-is associated with an additional disc or a socalled stop disc practically indicating the engaged position, such as in heating. Even when the time-limit switch is 'eiztirelywound up by hand, the clockwork will not immediately begin working as it has previously been usual, but thestop disc will first enable the clockwork to run down when the temperature necessary for the washing or washing up operation has been attained.

In this. connection it is of importance that both the time-dependent switching system and the switching system dependent on a physical magnitude, such as tempera ture, are connected to the clockwork through spiral springs in such a manner as to cause an excess of force ofthe time spring to return both contact systems to a rest position when the clockwork has run down.

Thus an excess of force will exist on the side of the time spring in the moment of switching in, Le. the switch moves into the time-dependent position after releasing the stop disc.

I A further advantage of the present arrangement con- Sists in that it. will be possible to prevent e.g. the heating and washing process from operating contemporaneously ie. from. switching in two circuits so that the fuses cannot be overcharged by the starting current of the washing motor during the heating process. A further advan- Patented Sept. 1, 1959 tage of said mutual dependence may be seen in that the arrangement is automatically secured against any dry going operation, for the heating system will be adjusted to a suitable temperature, such as or C. When said temperature is attained though there is no water in the container for any reason, then the heating circuit is disconnected and the washing motor is started, while the heating circuit is no more connected even when the engaged position effecting the heating is omitted after the clockwork has run down in the inverse sense.

A suitable construction consists also in that the switching systems are provided with a cam releasing any locking of the clockwork, such as by releasing the escapement or the eddy current disc,- only when the locked stop disc is released after having attained a preset temperature.

Thus a stop disc may have two functions one of which. consists in that the clockwork is prevented from running down before a determined temperature has been attained. Said operation will be effected by the engagement with the escapement of the clockwork. The second function consists in that the stop disc of the switching systems is connected with the measuring device of the physical magnitude.

Constructively it will be suitable to efiiect the locking operation by means of a joint lever the joint of which is actuated or displaced by the cams of a device influenced by the physical magnitude The use of a joint lever enables the locking to be released or effected without any expenditure of power, while the joint lever may be replaced by a catch mechanism which after having been actuated bends outwards in one or the other direction.

More particularly in washing or scullery machines it is important that the instrument measuring the physical magnitude is a telethermometer known for itself, having a tubular spring integral with a disc-shaped temperaturescale, the indication taking place at a fixed index line.

The above arrangement enables existing thermometers in said washing or scullery machines to be used for causing the release by means of the tubular spring, while by using a rotating disc-shaped temperature-scale a fixed and not rotating cam effects the release always at the same point. Said arrangement may be more reliable under service conditions and less expensive than any electric contact connecting at different points according to the preset temperature.

It is important to connect the disc-shaped temperaturescale carrying the cam disc actuating the locking device with an adjusting coupling. The latter is necessary for presetting the temperature without adjusting the temperature disc itself.

In this connection it will be suitable to mount the adjusting knob, the setting index and the cam disc on the axle, while the temperature disc with the tubular spring may be disposed on a hollow axle and connected through an adjusting coupling.

Such an arrangement ensures a maximum safety in operation with the least possible manufacturing costs, while in washing or scullery machines it will be sufficient to actuate one knob for setting the temperature and the other knob for setting the washing time.

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings and further features result from the drawing and the following specification.

Fig. 1 shows in front elevation of an arrangement of a telethermometer and a time-limit switch in combination;

Fig. 2 schematically shows the Fig. 1 in a similar view, the front plate being removed;

Fig. 3 is a section and a side elevation of a telethermometer and the temperature release respectively;

time-dependent switching operations are performed.

Fig. 4 is a section and a side elevation respectively of the time-limit switch, and

Fig. is a perspective view of a possibility for causing the catch disc to engage with the clockwork.

Referring now to the drawings, the reference character 1 in Fig. 1 relates to the front plate. 2 designates a control lamp indicating the service condition, while 3 relates to a release button or knob. 4 is the scale of a time-limit switch, the graduation being in minutes. 5 designates the handle for winding up the time-limit switch, said handle serving also as a position indicator.

6 designates the telethermometer or the temperature switch the graduated disc of which rotates in front of the fixed index line so that always the temperature is indicated, which is read below the index line of the temperature disc. 8 relates to an adjusting knob integral with the setting indicator 9. preset by means of the setting indicator. When the setting indicator travels up to a point below the index line then the required temperature is attained and exactly at the same point the switching operation and the release respectively of the time-limit switch takes place.

Fig. 2 shows as an essential part of the time-limit switch only the catch disc 10, while Fig. 4 shows the disc 14) as being arranged on the switch axle 11 where it may be carried along by the winding wheel and the cog 12. The catch disc is connected with the operating cam 14 through a hollow axle 13. Said catch disc is provided with a stop pin 15. The Fig. 2 shows other two positions drawn in dotted lines, the position 16 indicating the off-position according to the indicator position 17, while the indicator position 18 in passing over the time scale attains the position 19.

On rotating the handle 5 of the time-limit switch, the stop pin engages the stop bar 20, i.e. the time spring 21 may be entirely wound up, but the operating cam 14 is prevented from performing a switching operation. The part together with the part 23, the toggle joint 24 and the spring 25 forms the joint lever or the locking device. Suitably the toggle joint 24 is provided with a small roller 37, whereby the spring 25 presses the roller 37 against the cam disc 26. The cam disc 26 in turn is moved by the temperature disc 6, the latter being moved by the tubular spring 27. The tubular spring is twisted by the telethermometer located within the washing container and effecting the rotation e.g. due to the extension of the liquid. When the cam disc 26 pushes through the toggle joint, the latter will be moved to the position 28 under the pressure of the previously tightened spring 22 as shown in dotted lines. The stop disc 10 will be rotated through a certain angle (Fig. 5) whereupon it actuates the operating cam 14 and releases an eddy current disc 32 through the levers and 31, said eddy current disc having locked the clockwork, which then runs down. When the clockwork has run down, then the excess of force of the stronger time spring 21 disengages the stop disc 10 from the cog 12 of the clockwork, moving it back to the position 16.

The Fig. 3 then shows the tubular spring being fixed at 33 in the casing and mounted to a hollow axle 34 connecting one part of the adjusting coupling 35 with the tubular spring and the temperature disc 6.

In Fig. 5 similar reference characters relate to similar parts and it will be seen that the stop pin 15 of the stop disc presses against the blade 30 so that 31 is also pressed backwards and 32, i.e. the eddy current disc is released and the clockwork runs down, while previously the spring 36 would be braked by the eddy current disc.

- The present invention may be applied to all types of manually operated switches where engaged positions are obtained by corresponding locking devices and where It makes no difference whether e.g. several clockworks are connected in series i.e. if the term of the engaged posi- The required temperature istion relates to a predetermined period of a running'down operation or whether an arrangement exists, by means of which the switch first attains an engaged position determined by a physical magnitude, then attains to a time position and subsequently in the same sense of rotation arrives at another engaged position and so on.

I claim:

1. In a switch, the combination which comprises: a time-controlled mechanism movable from an off position to a first switching position and incorporating spring means which when said mechanism is moved from its off position to its first position, are tensioned to store sufficient energy to return said mechanism to its off position, said mechanism further being capable of assuming a second switching position which is intermediate said off and first positions, and condition-responsive locking means associated with said mechanism for retaining the latter in its first position, once it has been moved there into, until a predetermined condition is reached, and for thereafter releasing said mechanism so that the same is moved to its second position under the influence of said spring means and remains in such second position until the completion of the run-off of said mechanism, whereupon the latter is returned to its off position.

2. In a switch, the combination which comprises: a time-controlled mechanism movable from an off position to a first switching position and incorporating spring means which when said mechanism is moved from its off position to its first position, are tensioned to store sufficient energy to return said mechanism to its off position, said mechanism further being capable of assuming a second switching position which is intermediate said off and first positions, and temperature-responsive locking means associated with said mechanism for retaining the latter in its first position, once it has been moved thereinto, until a predetermined temperature is reached, and for thereafter releasing said mechanism so that the same is moved to its second position under the influence of said spring means and remains in such second position until the completion of the run-off of said mechanism, whereupon the latter is returned to its off-position.

3. The combination defined in claim 2 wherein said locking means comprise a toggle system having two joined levers movable between a locking position wherein said levers are in substantial alignment with each other and an unlocked position wherein said levers form an angle with each other, said toggle system when in locking position engaging an abutment on said time-controlled mechanism for preventing run-off of the mechanism and said locking means further comprising camming means for moving said toggle system from locking position to unlocking position upon attainment of said predetermined temperature, thereby disrupting the engagement between said abutment and said toggle system so as to permit said time-controlled mechanism to run off.

4. The combination defined in claim 3 wherein said toggle system further comprises spring means for maintaining the system in contact with said camming means, thereby holding said levers in aligned position so long as said predetermined temperature has not been reached.

5. The combination defined in claim 2 wherein said locking means comprise rotatable camming means having associated therewith a tubular spring containing an expansible fluid medium for turning said camming means in response to the temperature at a location spaced from said locking means.

6. The combination defined in claim 5 wherein said locking means further comprise a rotatable temperature scale for indicating the operating temperature of said locking means, and manually operable setting means for coupling said camming means and said temperature scale for rotation with each other.

7. The combination defined in claim 6. wherein said temperature scale and said tubular spring are mounted on a common hollow axle, wherein said setting means comprise an indicator which is mounted on a second axle passing through said hollow axle and carrying said camming means, and wherein said setting means further comprise clutch means for coupling said axles for rotation with each other.

8. The combination defined in claim 7 wherein said clutch means is in the form of a clutch element interposed between said hollow axle and said camming means so that said axles are coupled to each other via the camming means proper.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

